Health and Safety with National Nurses United 20
Infectious
Disease
Protections
[ The Problem ]
Infectious diseases are circulating through the population constantly.
Some people may not even know they are infected. Others seek care
when they experience symptoms. Healthcare workers are constantly
exposed to infectious diseases through the nature of their work. Infec-
tious diseases can be life-threatening.
[ The Solution ]
Employers should evaluate potential exposures and implement
controls to prevent employee exposure to infectious diseases. This
is best achieved through a coordinated prevention program that
uses engineering controls to minimize employee exposure to diseases.
Where engineering controls do not provide adequate protection,
the employer provides Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Infectious diseases are transmitted from person to person in different
ways depending on the type of disease. Protections should also vary.
• Blood-borne diseases require
universal precautions, including
wearing gloves, gown, mask,
and hand washing when touch-
ing or possibly touching patient
bodily fluids.
• Contact with infected surfac-
es can also spread disease.
The hospital's infection control
program includes successful
disinfection procedures for all
surfaces touched by patient.
• Air-borne/droplet-spread
diseases require heartier
engineering controls, like
an isolation room. When
a worker enters the isolation
room, further protection
is required. Respirators and
gowns protect workers from
aerosolized droplets. The level
of protection is based on how
far droplets travel and how
infectious the disease is.
